Michael Armstrong

More than two years after taking an elevated role within the Viacom family, Armstrong is a key voice in shaping the future direction of the company and its brands. He continues to work to identify new market opportunities to launch BET, Paramount and Spike in addition to overseeing the strategy, branding and operations of those launches. A testament to his ethic as a leader, Armstrong says his personal election campaign would be “Be good to all.” Cloud-based computing, he says, is the technology that will most benefit cable in the year to come because “it supports easier delivery for programmers and operators building their own OTT offerings, network DVR and full series catch-up offerings.”

The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is…
Cloud-based computing will continue to positively impact our industry the most.  It supports easier delivery for programmers and operators building their own OTT offerings, network DVR and full series catch-up offerings.

What television show/s – cable or broadcast  – best embrace diversity?
I am biased but my favorite is “Being Mary Jane” on BET.  A multi-ethnic newsroom, with a strong, independent black female lead anchor and a gay, black male on-air personality who both happen to be produced by a Latina female producer.  There are racial, inter-generational, and class issues which all work their way through the very well written story lines.

My personal election campaign slogan would be…
Be Good To All

Favorite charity organization you work with?
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH).  I am proud to serve as Board Chair of this historic institution.  DTH has instilled pride and confidence in thousands of young people of color for nearly 50 years, 99 percent of whom will never dance professionally.  They have however applied these traits in order to be successful in other life pursuits.